Regenerator



H. WALTER REGENERATOR Dec. 18, 1956 e sheets-sheet 1 Filed March 7. 1952 IN V EN TOR.

HELLMUTH WALTER mmmsZIU ZOClwDmOU H. WALTER REGENERATOR Dec. 1s, 1956 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 7, 1952 FIG. .4

FIG. Z

H ELLMUTH WALTER IN VEN TOR.

H. WALTER REGENERATOR Dec. 18, 1956 Filed March 7, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 FROM v COMPRESSOR HELLMUTH WALTER INVENToR.

FRM TU RBINE Dec. 18, 1956 H. WALTER 2,774,575

REGENERATOR Filed March '7,' 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 TO HEATER FROM g5 COMPRESSOR HE LLMUTH WQLTER I VEN TOR.

Dec. 18, 1956 H, WALTER 2,774,575

REGENERATOR Filed March '7, 1952 6 Sheets-Shet 5 HELLM UTH WA LTER 1N V EN TOR.

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H. WALTER REGENERATOR Dec. 18, 1956 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 7, 1952 TO H EATER FROM COMPRESSOR FIG] H ELLMUTH WA LTER INVENTOR.

United States Patent i O Hellmuth walsen Upper. I., assign .to VW Generation@ eomofafioaofeleware Appncauonivnrch 1,.,1952, satinata..275,311.4,.-l e o1amse...tot.21-fze.1

This 'nve'rition .reiates to .regeoeratolrefihatiey ,to .heat

thanking .me a a `rana gagna,` ne plant, a oo .pfreesinguriit for compressing owmg eaeor tation i Ike inst-@l1 Iilm. @ed

restores-the heet to the working .rhodium let o' lowertem.-

.. eroine of 'the flooeesl arid heads ofthe regenerate! .S eliminated .due to the fact that in the headsoftheref generator the .temperature is in. e eoeeeotrie' Pefterluie oeereeSiofg-frooitlie Genfer. to the radius.

vAnother"object of thepresent invention .is to provide a regeneratorfstructure whichwill permitwunres'trietd ex- Pension aofi .commotion .ofi-theehell eno tube, elemente thereof, 's Well'ae'permifedy vretrieval.of. the .tube Sheet and Atubes -from the shell without disruptingpipeconnecf .tiopslotheeee11.

Af retienerefery of the kpresent ioveotiooie panioularly edaptbl'efor ose io .leodaas forboe plante, or a ses. or veiio Camoreeeog flirter oompreeeog.- towiog gases ,or voiiorfin. ou isolated, System,` Whereuiheeoergy reallife@ or'eoHiPf-.eeeioeie derived.` from heating. .the ea.e.es in. one oe moreeorooooete of the, system or ooit.. Some .sach f wherein 'use of the. Present; reaeoeeatoris Aapplicable ereoseeloseo in. my oovpeosiioa applieaoon, Salame@ bei ...1e-1.512, notarios; 2.5, .1950.,11Qwabanaonea However,1he.1egeoeetor of-fhepreselitinvention:isfnot limit dvrto such use,v thevpresentrinvention being limited tonite regeoeretot-Per..ee which. may beadapted. to.. any ofee.. ,where preetioalr With these and other, obieets in view, as may. appear from .the V accompanying specification, the, invention.,con Sts ofL Various .features of. construction and `combination o f1 parts, which will be 4first described. inconneetionv with the. accompanying drawings, showing a regenerator'of apreferred form embodying the invention, and the featuresforrning theinvention will be specically-pointedout inthe clairrlls.A

' In the drawings: l Y

'Figlewl ie a diegremmatie.. layout ot e .oomuressiog unitttor compressingilowing gases orvapor in anisolated 53.1%@ illustrating ,one use for the` re'genera'tor.4 FigureZ is a sideelevation of the'lrefgeneratorf;

Qfbthe tube` sheet employed -in the regenerator.

Figure 3. e

forni,Yofthe.regeneratonll 'Y Figure.y 3 is al longitudinal setionfth'rough the regen? Y Figure Sais .a *detail section` througha modified forml 1 Patented Dec. 18', 1956 Figure '6 is aihorzoofal Section ,through the regenerator taken. on thejlinegf of :Figure 1Fiure7f3is'a fragmentary horizontal section .through another ,form of thereaenerator- `Figures 8 and .9 are detail views showing differentftypes of spacers employed for maintaining the tubes in proper spaced relation within they shell of the, 176glfl'ato 'r.

`Figures 10 and '1l are detailed views showing diiferent constructions ofrnounting the tubes in the tubesheet of the1..r'ege.r1erato.r. l

l"igurel ofthelidrawings Shows. a diagrammatioal lay.- out of a A compressing unit for compresisng owing gasor vapor l.wherein the energy required for compression-,is derived from heating thegasesI or vapors in one ormore .components of thesystem or unit. Geoerieally the eom.- pressing unitlinclud'es a line pipe 1 through which the gas lor 'vaporrtoy be compressed ows. The gas or vapor isytakenrfrom the line 1 through a ypipe 2 .and delivered to .the suctionof a compressor 3. Part of the gasfrom the pipe 2 is extractedthrough an extraction pipe 4 and passes through oneor more regenerators 5 4which form vthe subject matter of the present invention and wherein the extracted gas subsequently heated in the unit ows in heat exchange relationshipl with the incoming gas from the pipe 4 for-'restoring the heat to the Working medium at this point where theincominggas is at a lowertemperature .than the subsequently heated gas. After.- the gas passes. through the regenerators 5, which may be con.- nected either in seriesor in parallel, it passes, into, a fuelired heater -or heat exchanger 6 ofany preferred form or construction. The heated gagis delivered fromthefueltired heater or heat exchanger 6 through a pipe 7 to. a turbine 8 which drivesrtbe compressor 3 and thus the energyrequired foroperating the turbine 8 and compressor 3` and thereby compressing the gas or vapor is derived frorn 1heating part of thegases in the regenerators 5 and fueliired heat' exchanger 6. The compressedy gas lis returned to 'the' pipe line 1 lthrough a suitable connection 9.

In the form of the regenerator y.shown in Figures 2 to4 inclusive of the drawings` and which discloses a two-pass regeneraltor, i. e., a" regenerator wherein the heating meg dium flows in two passes orina iow` pathso thatit passes longitudinally along the tubes containing ,the` cooler-gas .-or vapor to be heated. Y

' shell. 10.,l .The heatexchange tubes..15which conduct wherein the-gas ilows `in the opposite direction toits ow v path inA the central chamberr17 and longitudinally-of the outer Vlegs .of the v,U-shaped tubes Vl5 incounter-eurrent flow direction to the flow of; the cooled gasV through the outer legs. Therinlet tube orpipe 13 for the hot gases'extends axially into the, shell 1010-3. point in closeproximity to` the inner side' of the tube sheetv 14 so thatthega's-issuf ing therefrom will'be deiiected laterallylanddowwiuartlliI by the; tubesheet along thefinmenlegsof` the tubes'f 15 -By locating the inlet pipe 13 for the-hot gases axiallyfor in the center of the shell 10 the hottest gas is introduced into the regenerator at the central portion of the regenerator so that the highest temperature at which the hot gas comes into contact with the shell 10 is intermediate of the inlet and outlet temperatures of the regenerator.

An annular exhaust passage 18 is formed upon the shell 10 in close proximity with the ilange 11 and the shell is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 19 which communicate with the annular outer chamber 2t) formed by the partition 16 and with the annular exhaust passage 18. A suitable outlet 21 is provided from the annular exhaust passage 18.

A dished head 22 is attached to the tube sheet 14 and the ange 11 through the medium of the ange 23 for-med thereon and suitable bolts 24. An annular partition 25 is formed in the dished head 22 and forms an outer annular inlet chamber 26 and a central outlet chamber 27. The partition Z is formed of a flange 28 which depends from the dished head 22 and a second ange 29 which rises from the tube sheet 14. Sealing means shown at 30 of any suitable type -is provided s-o as to prevent leakage of gas between the chambers 26 and 27. The annular partition 25 is formed of the two sections 28 and 29 so that the dished head may be removed and the -tube sheet 14 with all of the tubes attached thereto may be drawn longitudinally out of the shell for repair or replacement of the tubes.

An inlet pipe for the cooled gas opens into the annular inlet chamber 26 and from the annular inlet chamber 26 the cooler gas which is to be heated passes downwardly through the outer legs of the U-shaped tubes 15 in heat exchange relationship with the hotter gas llowing upwardly .threthrough and then the cooler gas flows upwardly through the inner legs of the U-shaped tubes 15 in heat exchange relationship with the hotter gases flowing downwardly through the central passage or chamber 17. The cooler gases, after they have passed through the inner legs of the tubes 15, flow into the central outlet chamber 27 An outlet pipe 31 extends axially into the dished head 22 and is connected at its inner end to the tube sheet 14, as shown at 32. The outlet pipe 31 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 33 therein which establish communication with the interior of the pipe and the inner outlet chamber 27 so that the gas ows from the outlet chamber 27 through the openings 33 and thence outwardly through the pipe 31.

With a regenerator of this type thermal'stresses will be set up in the tube sheet-14 because of the temperature differences of the inner or central portion of the tube sheet which is contacted by the hottest gas and the outer por tion of the tube sheet which is contacted by the hot gas after it has passed through the ow spaces 17 and 20 in heat exchange relationship with the tubes 15 and, con-sequently, is much cooler than the gas which contains the central portion of the tube sheet.

Figure 3a of the drawings shows a form of tube sheet which will compensate for 4the thermal s-tresses in the `outer portion of the tube sheet due to the temperature variances between the inner and outer portions thereof. In Figure 3a the central portion 35 of -the tube sheet 14 and the outer portion 36 thereof are made of separate pieces which are connected, at ldie outer edge of the .i-nner section and the inner edge of the section 36, that is, at a point L In this form of the invention the regenerator includes a shell 40 which is open at one end and hasan annular flange 41 surrounding the open end while the other end of the shell is preferably dished as shown at 42 and is provided with an axial opening through which the inlet pipe 43 for the hot gases passes in both Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings. The pipe43 is shown as carried by a ange extension 44 of the regenerator so that a connection may be m-ade with a pipe delivering the hot gases to the regenerator. A tube sheet 45 extends across the open end of the shell 40 and is attached to the ilange 41 by means of bolts 46 which also extend through the ange 47 formed on the dishedhead 48.V Like in Figure 3 of the drawings, the inlet pipe 43 extends axially into the shell 40 to a point a short distance inwardly of the tube sheet 45 so that the hot gasses will be deilected outwardly and downwardly as they issue from the inlet pipe 43. In Figure 5 of the drawings an annular parti-tion 49 depends from the tube sheet 45 and a second annular partition 50 rises or extends inwardly from the bottom 42 of the shell 40 thusproviding an annular inner downflow space 51 for the hot gases, an annular upow passage or space 52, a second annular downflow space or passage 53 and a second annular outer uptlow passage or space 54.

A plurality of U-shaped tubes 55 are carried by the tube sheet 45 and extend into the shell 40. The U-shaped tubes 55 are arranged in groups 56 and 57 with the legs of the tubes 55 the group 56 located on 4opposite sides of the annular partition 50 while the legs of the tubes 55 of the group 57'are located on opposite sides of the annular partition 49 vand thus the hot gases will ow downwardly through the passages or spaces 51 and 53 longitudinally of the inner legs of the tubes 55 of the two groups in countercurrent direction to the flow of the cooler gases through the tubes (as herein-after explained) while the hot gases will flow upwardly through the spaces or ow passages 52 and 54 longitudinally of the outer legs of the tubes 55 and countercurrent to the llo-w direction of the cooler gases through the tubes.

Annular partitions 58 and 59 are located within the dished head 48 and provide an outer annular inlet chamber 60, an intermediate ow reversing chamber 61 and an inner outlet cham-ber'62. Both of the partitions 58 'and 59 are formed of sections 63 depending from the dished head 48 and section 64 rising from the tube sheet 45 and overlapping at their meeting ends with suitable sealing means indicated at 65 between their overlapping ends so as to prevent leakage of the gases from one of the charnbers 60, 61 or 62 to the other and so as to permit removal of the head' 48 and ltube'sheet 45 for access to the tubes for replacement or repair. The outer annular inlet chamber 60 in the dished head 48 has an inlet 66 for the cooler gas. The cooler gas ows from the outer annular inlet chamber 60 downwardly through the outer-legs of the tubes 55 of the group 56 and thence upwardly through the inner legs of the ltubes 55 of the group 56 into'the chamber 61 where it is again directed downwardly through the outer legs of the tubes 55 of the group 57 passing from these outer legs through the inner legs of the U- shaped tubes y55 of the group 57 into the central outlet chamber 62. An outlet pipe 67 extends axially through the dished head 45 and is attached in any suitable manner asrindicated at 68` to the tube sheet 45.` The pipe 67 has a plurality of openings 69 therein through which. the gas ows from the outlet chamber 62 into the pipe 67.

An annular exhaust pas'sagefor the hotter gases is provided about the shell 4i) at a point in close proximity. to the flange 41 and the shell is provided with a plurality of openings 71 circumferentially spaced therea-bout which open into the annular exhaust passage 70 to provide for the outlet of the hot gases from the regenerator. A suitable outlet .connection 72 communicates with the annular exhaust passage 70.

lationship is provided. Y

The form of the invention shown in Figure 7 of the drawings differs trom the form shown in Figure 3 in that the annular partition 25' is continuous being attached to the tube sheet 14 and having an enlarged annular portion 73 formed Iat its outermost edge. The dished head 22 has an annular enlargement 74 thereon which abuts the outer surface of the annular enlargement 73 and is attached thereto by means of cap screws 75 whereby the tube sheet 14 will be partially supported from the dished head 22.

In the construction of the regenerators it may be necessary or desirable to provide means for maintaining the various tubes 15 or 55 in proper spaced relation one to the other so as to permit unimpeded ow of the hot gases about the tubes. Figures 8 and 9 show two different constructions for maintaining the tubes in proper spaced relation.

Figure 8 shows wires or rods 76 spirally coiled about the legs of the tubes and engaging the legs of adjacent tubes to maintain the tubes in their proper spaced relation, while Figure 9 shows a plurality of spacing discs 77 mounted on the tubes in longitudinally spaced relation with the peripheries of the spacing discs engaging the adjacent tubes so as to maintain the tubes in proper spaced relation Without providing undesirable impedance to the ilow of the gas about the tubes.

Figures 10 and 11 illustrate two different forms of attaching the tubes to the tube sheets, either of which may be employed or, in fact, other practical methods of attaching the tubes to the tube sheets may be employed without departing from the spirit of the present invention, those shown in Figures l0 and 1l being merely by way of illustration.

In Figure 10 the tubes 15 have their outer ends expanded by ferrules 78 which are driven into the tube ends forcing the ends of the tubes into the counterbores 79 formed in the tube sheet 14a. In Figure l1 the tube sheet 14b is counterbored as shown at 80 and a ferrule S1 is driven into the counterbore about the outside of the tube 15b, while the extreme outer end of the tube 15b is ilared or rolled as shown at 82.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specic Iconstruction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they may be widely moditied within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a regenerator, a shell having one end open, a tube sheet closing said open end, said tube sheet constructed of a plurality of sections disposed parallel and in spaced relation to each other, means connecting the sections of the tube sheet to permit expansion and contraction of one section of the tube sheet without transferring thermal stresses to the other section, a removable head attached to said tube sheet and shell having an inlet for the medium to be heated and an outlet pipe for heated medium, at least one partition means coacting with one of the tube sheet sections to form an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber inwardly of said inlet chamber, said inlet chamber communicating with said inlet and said outlet chamber communicating with said outlet pipe, a plurality of U-shaped tubes having their inner legs connected to one of said sections of the tube sheet and their outer legs connected to another of said sections of the tube sheet and disposed to extend into said shell to form an inner heat exchange section and an outer heat exchange section, the outer legs of said U-shaped tubes communicating with said inlet chamber and the inner legs of said U-shaped tubes communicating with said outlet chamber, means in said shell forming an inlet for hot gases, means on said shell forming an outlet to exhaust cool the gases from said shell, and means in said shell coacting with said inlet and outlet means to direct the ow of hot gases in a sinuous path over and about said inner and outer heat exchange sections.

2. A regenerator as claimed in claim 1 having a slip joint between said partition and the coacting tube sheet section to permit relative axial movement between said tube sheet section and said partition and to maintain the seal between said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber.

3. In a regenerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outlet pipe is attached for supporting engagement at its inner end to one of said sections of the tube sheet.

4. A regenerator as claimed in claim l wherein said tube sheet includes an outer section xedly connected between said shell and removable head and an inner section supportably carried by said outlet pipe, said means connecting said inner section to said outer section com prising an annular ring, said partition means overlapping said annular ring to form said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber, and slip joint means provided to permit movement of said inner tube sheet section relative to said partition means and to seal said inlet chamber from said outlet chamber.

5. In a regenerator, a shell having one end open, a tube sheet closing said open end, said tube sheet constructed of a plurality of sections disposed parallel and in spaced relation to each other, means connecting the sections of the tube sheet to permit expansion and contraction of one section of the tube sheet without transferring thermal stresses to the other section, a removable head attached to said tube sheet and shell having an inlet for the medium to be heated and an outlet pipe for heated medium, at least one partition means coacting with one of the tube sheet sections to form an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber inwardly of said inlet chamber, said inlet chamber communicating with said inlet and said outlet chamber communicating with said outlet pipe, a plurality of U-shaped tubes having their inner legs connected to one of said sections of the tube sheet and their outer legs connected to another of said sections of the tube sheet and disposed to extend into said shell to form an inner heat exchange section and an outer heat exchange section, the outer legs of said U-shaped tubes communicating with said inlet chamber and the inner legs of said U-shaped tubes communicating with said outlet chamber, the inner legs of said U-shaped tubes adjacent the axial line in spaced relation to form a centrally disposed space in said shell, an inlet pipe having one end connected to said shell and extending centrally between the spaced inner legs of said U-shaped tubes, said inlet pipe having an opening at the end remote from the connected end opening near said tube sheet for delivering hot gases into said shell, at least one annular partition connected to said tube sheet between the inner and outer heat exchange sections and extending into said shell between the legs of said U-shaped tubes, and outlet means on said shell to exhaust cooled gases from said shell, said inlet pipe, tube sheet, annular partition and outlet means constructed and arranged to direct the ow of gases in a sinuous path across said U-shaped tubes in the shell.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 722,628 Richmond Mar. 10, 1903 724,511 Schutt Apr. 17, 1903 1,524,595 Sward Ian. 27, 1925 1,862,310 How June 7, 1932 1,922,173 Pederson Aug. l5, 1933 1,960,770 Braun May 29, 1934 2,336,832 Badenhausen Dec. 14, 1943 2,365,878 Huit Dec. 26, 1944 2,576,309 Ruemelin Nov. 27, 1951 2,596,195 Arbuckle May 13, 1952 2,658,729 Horwitz Nov. l0, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,890 Great Britain July 8, 1911 228,297 Switzerland Nov. 1, 1943 375,989 Great Britain July 7, 1932 

